1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to domestic pet accessories, more particularly to a collar attachment or collar that provides an illuminating light source that goes beyond mere visibility but allows people and pets to see their way such as when walking a dog.
2. Description of the Related Art
Pet owners, particularly dog owners, take their animals for walks as recreation on generally a daily basis. Very often, such walks are taken beyond or before daylight hours. Today""s busy and bustling society makes demands upon many persons who choose to keep pets such as dogs and the like such that they do not have the opportunity on a daily basis to walk their animal during daylight hours.
At night, visibility becomes an issue due to significant, if not heavy, automobile and other vehicle traffic in even rural areas. If a person or animal cannot be seen by a driver of such a vehicle, the risk of accident is particularly serious when crossing the street or otherwise. To remedy this vulnerability, lights and/or reflectors have been attached to collars, leashes, clothing, etc. in order to give the person or animal greater visibility to oncoming traffic. While such devices provide for greater safety, they generally do not provide sufficient illumination by which the animal or person can see their way. Such lights and/or reflectors are generally used to provide visibility of the wearer for oncoming traffic instead of visibility for the wearer of the device of the adjacent environment. Consequently, pets and owners are left to walk generally in the dark save only that light available from street lamps, the moon, etc.
While such light may generally be sufficient so that the animal and owner can see their way, certain obstacles or obstructions may generally go undetected until they are felt under foot or until such obstacles or obstructions trip up either the animal or the owner. The risk of stumbling and failing is consequently increased by the travel taken during non-daylight hours.
While there has been a demand for greater illumination for pedestrians and their animals, the art has not yet addressed this particular need beyond flashlights held in hand by the owner or person walking the dog. It is left to the present invention disclosed in more detail below to provide means by which illumination can be conveniently provided to both the animal and the pedestrian owner so that walks are no longer taken entirely in the dark and that the path taken by one""s feet is better illuminated to prevent stumbling, tripping, and falling.
Several attempts have been made in the past that are relevant to the present technology as set forth in the table below.
The Parker ""235 patent reference discloses a flashlight having clipping members that can be attached to an animal collar. The Greves ""095 patent reference discloses an illuminated pet leash having a power source and operating switch. The Heyman et al. ""456 patent reference discloses an illuminated pet collar for improving the nighttime visibility of the pet, wherein the collar has lights mounted therein.
The LoCascio ""110 patent reference discloses an illuminated pet collar having a lighting source along the collar. The Chao et al. ""201 patent reference discloses an illuminated animal collar having lighted elements, a power source and switching mechanism incorporated therein. The McIntosh ""252 patent reference discloses a design for an illuminating dog collar. The Macedo et al. ""342 foreign patent reference discloses a method for attaching a flashlight to a retractable dog leash.
None of these prior attempts succeeds in delivering convenient, economical, and readily-manufacturable dog collar lights.
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of dog collar and animal lighting and/or illumination systems now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new dog collar flashlight wherein the same can be used to provide illumination for a leashed animal and visibility for oncoming pedestrian and vehicular traffic.
The general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide illumination means for leashed or collared animals, especially dogs which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, taught, or even implied by any of the prior art animal lighting systems, either alone or in any combination thereof.
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of lights and other visibility devices now present in the prior art with respect to animals and pedestrians, the present invention provides a new dog collar flashlight that provides sufficient illumination so that people walking their dogs or other pedestrian-animal combinations can see where they are going and can see what is or is soon to be underneath their feet.
The general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide illumination means by which greater visibility can be obtained over the important geography immediately adjacent and oncoming to a pet and/or owner""s feet which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any other prior art illumination devices, either alone or any combination thereof.
The present invention provides a dog collar flashlight either as an attachment to a dog collar or integrated and incorporated into a dog collar.
The dog collar flashlight of the present invention is a buckle-like object incorporating a switchable light that shines sufficient light by which to see those items on the ground approximately two to four feet in front of the animal. Due to the angle of the light, the animal, and the owner, are able to see the oncoming path sufficiently soon in order to anticipate any obstacles or constructions, including cracks in the sidewalk, mud puddles, refuse, etc.
Additionally, should the animal stray from the path and seek to explore areas adjacent to the path, the owner can see where the dog is going so that he or she may retrieve the dog or have it xe2x80x9cheel,xe2x80x9d so that the dog does not get into any dirt or refuse that might be unappealing to the owner.
In construction, a power source such as a disc or hearing aid battery is used to power a concentrated, or intense, light source, such as a white or bright LED (light-emitting diode). A switch is connected in line between the battery and the light to provide for switchably selectable operation of the light. A case may be constructed so that the light may only be turned on when the case is fully assembled. The case is also adapted so that the dog""s collar will slip through a buckle-like loop construct that provides for an easy fit, easy engagement by the collar, and an appropriate angle for the shining of the illuminating light. The shining of the light may be enhanced by reflective material or otherwise. Generally, the light should be bright enough to illuminate the path before the animal wearing the dog collar flashlight, but not too bright so as to detract from the visual perception of other adjacent objects. Preferably, the light does not destroy night vision.
The dog collar flashlight of the present invention may be incorporated into a collar or a harness and may further enjoy an alternative embodiment in having the operational controls attached to a leash or the like for quick and easy manual operation by the pet handler. While the dog collar flashlight is described here as being applicable to dogs, it is generally applicable to any other domesticated animal for which the present light may be adapted.
A dog collar flashlight provides illuminating light sufficient to perceive and visually detect items on the ground and adjacent the animal to which the dog collar flashlight is attached. The dog collar flashlight has an illuminating light that goes far beyond the providing of mere visibility but allows the visual detection of objects illuminated by the light such as cracks in the sidewalk, obstacles in the path of the dog or other domesticated pet or animal wearing the dog collar flashlight, and the activation of reflective material by the illuminating light. The light is controlled by a selectable switch and is housed along with the switch in a casing that allows a collar to engage in the dog collar flashlight. Collar-engaging loop portions attached to the dog collar flashlight case allows a collar to engage the dog collar flashlight and fix the dog collar flashlight to the dog or other animal. Alternative embodiments include incorporation of the dog collar flashlight into the collar or into a harness and, in a further alternative embodiment, in a leash associated or attached to the collar. By providing the dog collar flashlight of the present invention, clumsy hand held flashlights are avoided while both the dog or pet owner and the animal itself are able to see better and with more clarity obstacles, obstructions, or items that are not as easily detected in the dark, such as at night when the dog may be walked by the owner.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a dog collar flashlight.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a flashlight that is attachable to a collar or other attachment attachable to a pet or other domesticated animal.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a source of illumination for dogs and their owners while walking in the dark.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a dog collar flashlight that illuminates the path in front of the animal.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an illuminating collar attachable to a dog or other domesticated animal or pet.
It is yet another object of the present invention to prevent trips, stumbles, and falls by a pet or an owner as well as providing early detection and perception of objects that might otherwise be occluded in the dark.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from a review of the following specification and accompanying drawings. The foregoing objects are some of but a few of the goals attained by the present invention.